


Photographs to You

by KarainRed (grandAce)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-08
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-25 23:36:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/958938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grandAce/pseuds/KarainRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and Eren Jaeger has a lot to say.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Photographs to You

The first time Eren met Mikasa, the two of them were both freshmen in a new high school. It only took seeing the other student before Eren felt an instantaneous connection. When Eren thought about it, for years it had felt like something was missing... but in an instant the gap was filled. He hadn't thought twice before approaching the female. "Want to get lunch together?"

Three days passed before it crossed Eren's mind that he didn't even know her name. Despite that, rumors of the two dating were already abuzz in the halls. An entire month passed before Eren realized that the gap that Mikasa filled... was never filled entirely, and that something was still not right. When he mentioned it to Mikasa, she only nodded, mentioning that she could understand the feeling. Eren thought his hardest about it, but it took weeks before he found anything. The memories came to him in his sleep.

When Eren began to talk about a boy with hair like sunshine and a smile just as bright, Mikasa trusted him (but she also asked that he please not try to sound poetic again). It sounded familiar, sounded like the missing piece to the puzzle. And even though they never really had much to go off of aside from Eren's intuition, it hadn't led them wrong yet.

During the four years of high school they spent together, it was increasingly obvious how Eren was disappointed by how far inland they lived. Though they were vague and nonspecific, he eagerly made plans for after high school, insisting that the two of them could get an apartment by the water. It didn't matter to Eren where they ended up, as long as he could look out a window and see some body of water. A lake or a river would have been acceptable, if it came to that, but the fantasies he outlined for Mikasa always seemed to involve the ocean. 

By their senior year it was no longer a dream, but a goal that Eren eagerly and wholeheartedly pursued. Before Mikasa realized it she'd been completely dragged in by his enthusiasm. The two of them spent their senior year of high school saving as much money as they could, working part-time jobs after school and picking up extra jobs whenever they could find them. Neither thought their parents would be unwilling to help, but there was a certain satisfaction in pooling together their own money and knowing that even if they needed help getting the apartment, they could handle living expenses while they figured things out.

When their parents offered to pay for the two of them to spend a week at the ocean for spring break, Eren was torn. For days he flip-flopped back and forth between agreeing to the offer and politely declining. On the plus side, it was everything he wanted. It would only be a week, but it was a week with the ocean right outside his doorstep, alongside one of the most important people in his world. It was a window into the future that he was working so hard for. On the down side, it was a week, _an entire week_ , of work and part-time jobs that he was missing out on, valuable money that he needed to save if he wanted to actually _live_ by the ocean when they graduated.

The final decision was only made when Mikasa told Eren to "do what will make you happy".

Before they left, Eren insisted on buying himself a camera. It was _expensive_ , Mikasa thought, when a disposable camera would have been just as good. She didn't complain though, especially when she saw the way Eren would smile as he laid in the sand, looking over the water through his camera's viewfinder. He would laugh, twisting enough that he could bring Mikasa into focus and take a picture before she looked away or made a face at him. Every night he smiled to himself as he looked through the day's pictures, and every morning his camera was the first thing he would grab before heading out.

"It's for him," Eren explained once as he stood on a rocky cliff, leaning forward. Mikasa gripped tightly at his clothes to keep him from falling as he tried to lean further, his tongue beginning to poke out between his lips. "Since he's not here with us. I want to be able to share everything with him." Mikasa understood after that, and even though Eren's recklessness drove her crazy, she was always by his side just to make sure nothing happened.

The week had passed by too quickly, but Eren didn't seem the least bit disappointed when they returned to school. If anything, he only seemed more motivated to graduate and get their own place, as though that one week by the water had confirmed for Eren that that was where he wanted to be.

\---

It was after they returned home when Mikasa suggested that he send in some of his pictures from their vacation to an amateur photography contest. Eren had tried to laugh it off, but he agreed in the end only after Mikasa pointed out that if Eren did win, the prize money would cover for the money Eren had spent on is camera in the first place, and then some. Eren took an entire weekend to decide on three pictures to send in, and though he tried to play it off, anyone could see the nervous tension that Eren suffered under for the next few weeks while he waited for the results of the contest.

When the letter finally arrived, it took more self-control than Eren thought he'd had to not tear it open right then. He waited, endlessly impatient, until he could pull Mikasa aside at lunch the next day. He only opened it once the two of them were both there, pulling out the folded letter with shaking hands. Mikasa took it from him, hands steady, so they could actually read it.

Eren would always deny that he'd cried that day, but the entire school had heard his victorious scream from the rooftop.

One week later, a second letter arrived. Eren opened it immediately, expecting it was just the check for the prize money that he'd won. He hadn't been expecting another letter inside, a folded piece of paper making him an offer that was almost too good to be true. It was an offer for a contract, to be paid for his photography. They offered... everything. Money for his pictures, money to cover transportation and a place for him to stay and even food, his pictures published...

As Eren quietly read every word to himself, his heart began to race. It was... _perfect_. Eren didn't jump on the offer immediately though, and he didn't mention it to Mikasa either. He made a small detour, bringing the details of the contract before his father. He was only eighteen! What could he be expected to know about these things? Instead, he let his father work them out for him, explaining the parts that didn't make sense to Eren and giving his own opinions on the terms and what things might be negotiable. And even then, Eren had one very important question to be answered as he called the number at the very bottom of the letter.

"Would you be willing to cover the travel expenses for my... assistant as well?"

\---

Eren felt guilty, sometimes.

Everything was perfect. He had freedom, the entire world open to him and his camera, and he had Mikasa, always traveling loyally at his side as each trip took them further and further from home until they jumped from one corner of the globe to another. It hadn't taken Eren long to find his niche, his name growing in popularity with each new destination that Eren lovingly captured on film, his determination showing even if no one could see the reckless way Eren would risk everything for that one perfect shot.

But something was still missing. He wasn't sure if he felt guilty because he felt greedy, having so much in his favor and still wanting more, or because the blond-haired boy of his dreams wasn't with them.

But if it was the second one, Eren was determined to make up for it. For every stack of photographs he sent to the magazine, there was a second stack that he kept for himself. At first he'd taken pictures of everything: the towns they visited, the people they met, the food they ate, Mikasa and himself, the tallest trees and the deepest valleys and the ocean and its beaches in every color and shade. He wanted to show the boy, once they found him, everything that he had missed. However, with each passing trip Eren grew pickier. The most important pictures, he decided, were the ones of the ocean and the ones where he caught Mikasa smiling, candid and carefree.

Everything else could wait until they found him. Because wherever he wanted to go, whatever he wanted to see, Eren wouldn't have hesitated for a moment to take him.

***

Mikasa tilted her head to look at the spine of the book that the boy sitting across from her on the subway held. The cover image was familiar, but she wanted to confirm it. The boy must have noticed her attempts, because he smiled across the aisle at her, holding up the book so she could better see it. Her thoughts were confirmed then, the name _Eren Jaeger_ written neatly along the spine.

When the train stopped at the next station, Mikasa stood, crossing the aisle to sit down beside the blond-haired boy. He smiled back at her, and Mikasa remembered something Eren had said years earlier. _Like sunshine_. She still thought it was just as cheesy, but she could understand where he might get the idea as she smiled back. "Do you like Eren's pictures?" she asked as the train began to move again.

He brightened, if it were even possible. "Yes." He met Mikasa's gaze and, seeming to think he'd found someone else with an interest in Eren's photography, eagerly continued. "It's impressive. I mean, he's the same age as me! But he takes such amazing pictures. And did you know? They're holding an exhibition of his works at the art museum this weekend. Apparently he's in town too, so they say he might be there!"

Mikasa nodded, smiling. "I've heard." She didn't mention how she'd heard Eren formulating plans to avoid the exhibition, going into detail how he would sneak out of the hotel before the PR representative could catch him and drag him along. "Are you going?"

The words caused the boy to pause, dropping his gaze back to the book he'd lowered to his lap. Mikasa watched while he traced the crest of a wave with one fingertip before answering. "I wish I could. But a ticket is a little out of my budget." He looked upward for a moment, silent as he seemed to be gauging where how far he was from his stop. He closed the book in his lap. "If I could go, though..." He shook his head, stretching his legs and moving to stand up.

Mikasa blinked, standing quickly as well. She reached into the bag beside her, fingers quickly searching through the neatly lined up papers before she found her wallet, and was able to remove a small card within. "I have an extra ticket," she explained, smiling as she gently coaxed the blond to take it. "I hope to see you there." She paused for a moment before adding, "My name is Mikasa Ackerman."

He stared down silently at the card for a few moments, blinking before quietly tucking it inside the pages of his book. He smiled at Mikasa, hugging the book tight to his chest. "Thank you so much!" He started toward the door when it opened, though he paused before exiting. "I'm Armin! Armin Arlert."

Mikasa nodded, gesturing toward the door. Noticing that it was beginning to close, Armin hurried off of the train. When she sat back down, she looked out the window. Noticing that he stood waving to her, she lifted one hand to wave back before removing her phone from her pocket.

"I think you should go to the exhibition. ... No, no one put me up to this. ... Eren, I found _him_."

***

On the first night of the exhibition, he never showed up.

Eren was a bundle of nerves the entire time. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the representative set a hand on his shoulder, commenting that he looked like he was going to be sick. He assured them that he was fine, grabbing Mikasa's hand as he excused himself to the refreshments table. He only made it halfway there before he changed directions and hurried to the restrooms.

On the second night, Eren insisted that he would be okay. He walked around the entire night with a cup of water in hand, sipping quietly at it as he went through the monotonous greetings and conversations that the PR representative seemed to expect of him. He talked about his pictures, though he insisted that he wouldn't recycle lines about inspiration or "true beauty" and that he just took pictures of things that he liked.

Again, he never showed up.

The nerves set in again on the third night as Eren's fingers laced together with Mikasa's, tightly gripping her hand as they walked together. "What if he doesn't show up?" he asked. It felt like his heart had climbed its way up into his throat, making it difficult to breathe as the two moved from one room of the gallery to the next. It was difficult to breathe, but nothing prepared him for the way his heart dropped when Mikasa lifted their joined hands, pointing out a blond-haired boy who quietly stood before one of Eren's photographs. She smiled when she let go of his hand, and Eren walked over stiffly.

Nothing would have prepared him to find the boy crying, shoulders tense and eyes wet. Eren swallowed a panicked sob of his own, clearing his throat. "Is everything ok?"

"I'm sorry." One hand rose to wipe at his eyes, the boy taking a few breaths in an attempt to calm down. "I just... remembered something, from a long time ago." He turned toward Eren and the smile he gave seemed to light up the entire room. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Eren."

Eren choked, wrapping his arms around the blond. "I missed you," he whispered, unable to stop the words before speaking them. Armin only smiled back in reply, and neither of the two made any resistance when Mikasa took their elbows, shooting a warning look that dared the PR rep to try and interfere before she pulled the two of them away. Even as they walked, Eren kept talking. "You wanted to see... the ocean, right? Me and Mikasa'll take you. It doesn't matter where. We'll go, okay? So stay with us."

Armin smiled, letting himself relax as the two attached themselves to either arm. Mikasa was on his right, quietly guiding them through the gallery's halls away from the crowds who'd come for the exhibition, and Eren was on his left, face buried against his shoulder and a warm dampness beginning to soak through his shirt. "I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else."


End file.
